evidence and ideas. applied.

As part of our latest Radar research program, we asked citizens in 21 countries about their awareness of the SDGs one year on from the launch, as well as the views of those in 15 countries on different institutions’ performance in acting to implement them.

1 June 2017 – President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement sends a strong signal to the rest of the world that the US government does not prioritize climate change, despite almost half (49%) of the American public supporting the need to take “major action” according to new research.

Results show that 56 percent of people across 19 countries surveyed say that we should take immediate major action to reduce human impacts on climate, while 28 per cent say that no major action should be taken until more is known about climate change. In the US, public support is divided, with 44 percent of respondents saying no action should be taken until we know more, compared to 49 percent who say that we should assume the worst and that immediate action is needed.

Chris Coulter, GlobeScan CEO, commented: “President Trump’s abandonment of the global consensus and united effort on climate change, which will further isolate America in the world, would not be possible without a significant proportion of the population – 44 percent – who remain skeptical of taking action on climate change. The task ahead is to engage Americans across the country in the importance and benefits of acting to address climate change. Business, local government, civil society and academia all have a role to play in building a coalition of a large majority of Americans to demand action on climate change.”

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Methodology

In total 18,402 citizens in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, Spain, Turkey, the UK, and the United States were interviewed face-to-face or by telephone between December 2, 2016 and April 26, 2017. Questions were asked by half samples in all countries polled except in India. Polling was conducted by GlobeScan and its research partners in each country.

In Brazil, China, Indonesia, Kenya, and Turkey urban samples were used. The margin of error per country ranges from +/- 2.5 to 6.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Country

Sample Size (unweighted)

Field dates

Sample frame

Survey methodology

Type of sample

Australia

800

February 6–19, 2017

18+

Telephone

National

Brazil

810

March 20 – April 10, 2017

18-69

Face-to-face

Urban1

Canada

1000

January 27 – February 15, 2017

18+

Telephone

National

Chile

1200

December 2–19, 2016

18+

Face-to-face

National

China

1171

February 24, – April 25, 2017

18+

Telephone

Urban2

France

1009

February 6-16, 2017

18+

Telephone

National

Germany

1002

January 13–31, 2017

16-70

Telephone

National

India

1018

January 19 – March 23, 2017

18+

Face-to-face

National

Indonesia

1000

March 8–22, 2017

18+

Face-to-face

Urban3

Kenya

1010

February 1–15, 2017

18+

Face-to-face

Urban4

Mexico

800

March 4–9, 2017

18+

Face-to-face

National

Nigeria

800

February 2–8, 2017

18+

Face-to-face

National

Pakistan

1000

December 26, 2016 – January 13, 2017

18+

Face-to-face

National

Peru

1000

April 13–26, 2017

18-70

Face-to-face

National

Russia

1018

February 3-22, 2017

18+

Telephone

National

Spain

797

February 8-15, 2017

18+

Telephone

National

Turkey

966

March 2–20, 2017

15+

Face-to-face

Urban5

United Kingdom

1001

January 27 – February 19, 2017

18+

Telephone

National

USA

1000

January 19 February 1, 2017

18+

Telephone

National

In Brazil the survey was conducted in Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Curitiba, Goiânia, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, São Paulo, representing 23 per cent of the national adult population.

In China the survey was conducted in Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Shanghai, Shenyang,Shijiazhuang, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xi’an, and Zhengzhou, representing 15 per cent of the national adult population.

In Indonesia the survey was conducted in Bandung, Jakarta, Makassar, Medan, and Surabaya, representing 8 per cent of the national adult population.

Diminishing trust in a range of institutions has become a central issue, especially when it comes to the relationships between business and society. Trust in global companies and national governments is especially low, as evidenced by GlobeScan’s annual tracking of trust in institutions. And in an age of increasing anti-globalization and nativism, this should be of great concern. With additional insight from Good World Solutions’ Laborlink, we explore best practices and challenges for labor in the supply chain.

Despite the possibility of a drastic change in direction on climate change policy after the election of Donald Trump to the presidency in the USA, GlobeScan’s tracking shows that the American public now believes more than ever that climate change is a “very serious” problem (since GlobeScan started tracking concern about climate change in 1998).

15 December 2016 – Despite the possibility of a drastic change in direction on climate change policy after the election of Donald Trump to the presidency in the USA, GlobeScan’s tracking shows that the American public now believes more than ever that climate change is a “very serious” problem.

Results from GlobeScan’s 2016 Radar research show that Americans’ sense that climate change is a serious issue has rebounded after steadily declining in the aftermath of the 2007–2008 financial crisis. Just over half of the public in the USA now say that climate change is a “very serious” issue – the highest level measured in 18 years of tracking.

Commenting on what might be behind the recent increase in concern about climate change in the USA and other countries, Chris Coulter, GlobeScan CEO, said: “The successful negotiation of the Paris Agreement at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) at the end of 2015 likely inspired a renewed sense of focus around the issue, with national governments finally seen to achieve some degree of leadership. In the USA, the Obama administration has become particularly serious about tackling climate change, possibly influencing the population with a sense of urgency. Around the world, social movements also tirelessly continue to push the issue.”

Despite the possibility of a drastic change in direction on climate change policy after the election of Donald Trump to the presidency in the USA, GlobeScan’s tracking shows that the American public now believes more than ever that climate change is a “very serious” problem (since GlobeScan started tracking concern about climate change in 1998).

Findings from our new GlobeScan Radar eBrief show that Americans’ sense that climate change is a serious issue has rebounded after steadily declining in the aftermath of the 2007–2008 financial crisis.

The US election reinforces the truth of our VUCA world. There is little doubt that we are living in highly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous times. Like Brexit, the status quo was upturned in a staggering fashion in last week’s US election, teaching us all that we are living in uncharted waters replete with unknowable consequences.

We are living in a world of great contradiction: on the one hand the world is witnessing exciting developments in technology and innovation, global governance (e.g., COP21, SDGs), and progress in important aspects of human development; on the other hand we are witnessing a host of challenges from mass migration to growing inequality, to ongoing conflict, and a growing set of urgent environmental issues. The pace of cultural and technological change coupled with growing inequality, along with a sense of dislocation and increasing vulnerability, has created serious political events that have propelled Donald Trump to the White House, has resulted in the UK leaving the EU, and has caused a host of populist revolts in pockets of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe.

The first two of GlobeScan’s five megatrends – a Polarized World and Low Trust in Institutions (the others include Interest in Transparency, the Rise of the Aspirationals, and a Thirst for Purpose) – seem particularly prophetic. With half of people worldwide split on important issues such as globalization and climate change, our data tells us how divided and polarized people are on fundamental issues of the day. Further, trust in governments, the media, and global companies remain at historic low levels, leading to a backlash in anything resembling business as usual. Just look at the significant decline in net trust in government in the USA between 2015 and 2016, which conforms to a long-term decline in the post-911 period.

Going forward, one thing is clear: we need to better understand the dynamics, trends, and perspectives of all citizens and stakeholders, especially rising negative populism, and work to create more social capital across society. The need for not only better intelligence but also effective dialogue and engagement has never been more critical. At GlobeScan, we are committed to working even harder to be effective partners and catalysts for leadership organizations working toward a sustainable and equitable future for all.

The election of Donald Trump has created a great deal of uncertainty for Americans and the world. It is important to remind ourselves that we live in a multi-stakeholder world where a range of actors – from business to civil society – can have a profound impact on creating the future we all want.

And what the vast majority of us across the world want is very similar. I recall doing focus groups across seven countries some years ago and we began with a simple exercise. We asked participants to close their eyes and imagine the future they wanted. Despite cultural, geographic, and historic diversity of the countries involved in the study, the results were remarkably consistent: we all want safe and vibrant communities, health and education for our children, a clean environment, and an economy where no one is left behind.

Let’s continue our collective work toward this inclusive aspiration, grounded in the hopes of many billions of us on this planet. We are living in an age of disruptive technology and disruptive expectations. People are looking for new approaches and models for our society. We must all embrace this great urgency to more deeply listen, engage, and co-create a purposeful economy.

‘Thick’ trust is present when a company achieves social trust that goes beyond the transactional and includes acting in broader societal interest. Results from GlobeScan’s 2016 Radar research confirm that ‘thick’ trust in banks and financial services companies remains low, despite eight years having passed since the financial crisis of 2008.

In this eBrief, we explore the low levels of trust in the finance industry across different regions, the reasoning behind the low scores, and ways the finance industry can improve upon its trust deficit.

‘Thick” trust is present when a company achieves social trust that goes beyond the transactional and includes acting in broader societal interest. Results from GlobeScan’s 2016 Radar research confirm that ‘thick’ trust in banks and financial services companies remains low, despite eight years having passed since the financial crisis of 2008.

In our new eBrief, we explore the low levels of trust in the finance industry across different regions, the reasoning behind the low scores, and ways the finance industry can improve upon its trust deficit.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were established in 2000, with the goal of improving the lives of people living in poverty around the world by 2015. GlobeScan measured global awareness of the MDGs in 2007, the halfway point.

In this eBrief, we compare these results to the global awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established in 2015, which we tracked in this year’s GlobeScan Radar.

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Since 2004, GlobeScan has been a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, committing to the Compact’s 10 Principles. The Global Compact is a network of UN agencies, corporations, non-governmental organizations, labor and academic institutions that endorse a shared set of principles on good corporate citizenship.

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